The Cinnamon Club Restaurant information

Fine Indian food in sleek surroundings, The Cinnamon Club is a must for fans of fine dining. Their menu is packed full of innovative dishes using a mixture of modern and traditional techniques and produce that will simply blow your mind.

What did you think of The Cinnamon Club Restaurant?

The Cinnamon Club Restaurant reviews

I would edit the anonymous review of 17/10 by saying 'Don't go to the Cinnamon Club if you are expecting the so called Indian Cuisine served up in most Bangladeshi inspired 3 pot curry houses.'

This restaurant is as far removed from the average Indian Resturant in Britain as it is possible to get.

The epithet Vindaloo, highjacked by such establishments to indicate a concoction that this searingly Chilli-hot, actually indicates a dish cooked with Vinegar, typically Pork which can vary in strength and is not necessarily laced in Chilli.

The Indian snack called Papad has been morphed into the Poppadom so universally that even some genuine Indian Restaurants cooking food of real quality have given in.

I have now eaten at this restaurant several times as a change from my usual round of Chutney Mary, Benares, Painted Heron, Sharkels and the like because it is different.

If you go looking for high quality Indian food, sometimes grilled, sometimes roasted sometimes stewed; served with complementary sauces and vegetables delectably and sympathetically spiced then you will enjoy it because this is what this restaurant delivers.

If you go thinking you will get a stunning Meat Bhuna, Madras, Jahlfrezi Do Piazza Balti or Vindaloo etc then you will be disappointed and will have wasted your money because that is not what this restaurant is about. The A La Carte menu is expensive but worth the money if you enjoy fine Indian dining.

The tasting mnu is best because one gets a better idea as to the capabilities of the kitchen. However, one can eat here without spending a fortune. The lunchtime and early evening set menu's offer a good choice and at about £20 are a snip.Philip Wassall; Exeter.

I recently visited for afternoon tea and had what they call High Chai. Was great in taste and look, no doubt its voted among top best restaurants in london. The service and ambiance is really nice. I think I should come here around dinner time and try their main course too.

What a gem! Yes, it isn't cheap, but the food is of excellent quality and the staff was very polite. I'm not very knowledgable about the Indian cuisine, but I felt the number of Indian diners must be a good sign. Very chique surroundings, great place to impress your partner/parents/collegues with!

very delightful and elegant , specially their tasting menu ...accompanied with pairing wines...
went there with a group of friends, all of us had a really good time, perfect spicy , liked by our Indian friends too.
alsoits slightly on the upper end , but worth the trip.

A really nice restaurant, serving contemporary indian food in an old library. I've been there a few times, so it must be good! Buy the cookery book too, I've made since immense (and cheaper) meals at home since I did!

I visited The Cinnamon Club recently and was suitably impressed. The room is quite beautiful and we enjoyed great cocktails in the bar downstairs before our meal. I knew not to expect traditional Indian fare and had an open mind. I must say I really enjoyed the modern Indian cuisine. Intense flavours and stunning presentation - my personal favourite being an unbelievable Lamb Rack with Saffron Sauce.

Admittedly the prices were top end but then I felt what we had was much the same as when I visit a top Italian or French restaurant. The Cinnamon Club is great for special occasions and anyone looking for something different, definitely not for those looking for a traditional curry.

Don't, whatever you do, go to the Cinnamon Club if you are expecting the Indian cuisine we all love and cherish.
Our pork chop vindaloo was mild and almost inedible, the diner next to us had scallops swimming in an extraordinary soup substance. The staff at Cinnamon Club were rude and offhand and the prices were absurdly high. Remember not to ask for poppadoms at Cinnamon Club - you will be greeted with a barely concealed look of contempt.

Went to Cinnamon Club last night with 14 colleagues. The service was fine but the food was magnificent - a firey lamb starter followed by delicate king prawns and an exquisite chocolate thing for pudding. The bill came to about £70 per head for 3 courses, drinks and service which is a tad steep but definitely worth it - especially if you can put it on expenses!

I booked a table for ten people for my husband's thirtieth birthday. We arrived early and were asked to wait for our table, an hour later we were still waiting. I explained that we had last trains and babysitters to consider, but still we waited. We were finally shown to our table only to be ignored for another half an hour. By now the mood was ruined and everyone was looking at their watches rather that enjoying themselves. We received our first course at 10.30pm, the table had been booked for 8pm. Half the gueats had to rush their main course and leave and the whole evening was a disaster. Don't go here unless you are a famous politician or a celeb or you'll be treated like dirt.

Hidden in the impressive shadow of Westminster Abbey, you will find this Grade II listed library turned spice restaurant. The excited hum of conversation once would have been silenced with a firm ssshhhh, but now it’s welcomed, and patrons delight in the fusion of Indian dining, with locally sourced and farmed ingredients. Suffice to say this revamped library is serving up more than knowledge these days.

The Venue
Endearingly, this 1897 built building has kept some of its old world charm when converted in about 2000. Thus, reclaimed parquet flooring, Indian marble, imported stone from Rajasthan and grand dome skylights are the order of the day.

The venue itself consists of four separate areas: a large restaurant which seats 130, resplendent in Victorian grandeur; an impressive mezzanine level, stacked with books, as it would have been during the century it was London’s first public library; a 60 seat private dining room, with artful panelling shielding the VIP guests from the riff raff; and finally, tucked away downstairs, in the old reference library, a Bollywood-themed cocktail bar.

The Atmosphere
Due to its prestigious location, The Cinnamon Club is usually booked out by MPs and other dignitaries who wish to nibble after their parliamentary sessions. This is not the place to come for an after pub curry fix. You feel as if you should be dressed up in shirt and tie and screaming order, order!

There is no ambient music playing (which the place could benefit from), but a fair, atmospheric buzz arises from the clientele talking shop, which reverberates off the impressively high domed ceilings. Also, the way the room and mezzanine are designed makes for great people watching.

However, what really brings the suits back night after night is the service. The attentive waiters, sommelier and chef are not shy about sharing their passions for food and wine with the diners.

The Food
The menu at The Cinnamon Club can only be described as modern Indian and European. It consists of a mixture of seafood and meat (deer, lamb and buffalo) adorned with fresh spices and sauces. The acclaimed chef, Vivek Singh (who was once in charge of the great Rajvials in Jaipur) feels that all too often, Indian dishes become overpowered by the curries and the fresh produce gets lost. Thus, here he ensures that all the products are locally sourced and farmed (such as the Barramundi -normally hooked by Aussie fishermen, now being farmed in the New Forest) and that the spices bring out the flavours of the produce without being overbearing. A three course meal for two people averages out to about £110.00 without wine.

For starters, the char-grilled swordfish with flash fried chilli squid absolutely melts in the mouth and the tandoori flavours are intense without being overbearing. The mains include the aforementioned Barramundi with Kerala curry sauce, and particularly recommended is the Tandoori king prawns with saffron sauce and pilau rice, which is served already peeled, slightly charred on the outside (Tandoori style) and are more than a mouth full in size. The halibut with green spiced sauce and lemon rice is an amazing fusion of spicy, yet sweet sauce complementing the not too strong tasting lemon rice and fresh, meaty halibut.

Be aware, all the flavours are quite intense and rich, so be careful not to mix your meal with too many of their speciality cocktails beforehand. If you cannot decide between the many choices on their menu, then opt for the tasting plates: rack of lamb, water buffalo and red deer is about £40 per person. For the non-carnivores, there are limited vegetarian options. These include the Hyderabad-style baby aubergine in sesame tamarind sauce and various side orders including Rajasthani sangria beans with fenugreek and raisin.

Desserts don’t come any better then this either - if you can manage to squeeze one in! The Cinnamon Club serves a dazzling array of sorbets and chocolates, but if you’re too full then perhaps a sip of their many dessert wines will suffice instead.

The Drink
The sommelier has a rather large job on his hands, choosing wines for spicy sauces along with fresh seafood and meat, but he’s spot on with his choices. Prices average at about £50.00 per bottle, and the New Zealand (Goldwater Estate) Sauvignon Blanc is recommended for seafood. Alternatively, you can opt for one of their renowned cocktails (about £10.00) from the bar downstairs – such as the Bollywood passion-a vodka (or gin) martini which bursts with passion fruit flavours and even has a half of a passion fruit floating within. Or go for their signature drink, The Cinnamon Bellini, their take on the classic peach schnapps version, only they add cinnamon. A very strong tasting drink - one must really like cinnamon to appreciate it.

The Last Word
The old Westminster library has dusted off its fuddy duddy image and now brings you the aroma of fine dining, Indian style. You do feel like you must dress to impress here and don’t come expecting traditional Indian. Think of it as the Indian equivalent of the Ivy.